I like politics! Is that a crime?
When you're in college, you're bound to be asked is "What's your major?" It's simple, it's fair, and it's also always one of the most annoying. Why? Because there is always going to be something to say about your major. More specifically, if you say you're a political science major, there are then a slew of questions about the healthcare, policy, presidential candidates, taxes, laws and your own personal post-graduation plans. Now, most of the time we won't mind answering these questions, but they often become repetitive and we get fed up having to give the same answers over and over again. So, here are a few misconceptions I want to clear up about political science majors.
1. We don't always want to talk politics!
The most common misconception about political science majors is that we want to talk politics every waking moment. Yes, we are more than likely politically inclined, and have opinions on what's going on in the world; however, it does become overwhelming to hear everyday. We have other priorities and hobbies that we'd love to talk about! Just because we know politics doesn't mean we want to talk every time you have a conversation with us.
2. We don't all want to be lawyers, politicians, or work for the government.
Personally, I would like to be a lawyer and work in the government/legal field; however that isn't the case for most Poli Sci majors. A political science degree can take you into many different fields. Of course there are the more well-known such as the legal field and political analytics, but we can go into communications, business, journalism, public relations, education, etc. We have a direct link to any career field! A poli-sci degree can take you places others can't!
3. No I didn't become involved in Poli Sci because I binged watched Scandal/House of Cards/ The West Wing/etc.
Yes, I watch these shows, I love them, I'm obsessed with them; however, I did not decide to spend thousands of dollars on my education to study political science because of them. A lot of what you see is extremely dramatized just as anything else you see on television. You don't go up to a pre-med major and say "did you decide to be a doctor because you watched Scrubs?"
4. "Political Science isn't really a science." False.
Let me break down what the dictionary definition of science is.
Science : /ˈsīəns /noun : intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.
We have to be analytical of all the information that we receive, and have to seek to find answers to questions that we may not even want to know. How do you think they come up with all those presidential polls and opinion polls of major legislation? Despite what anyone may tell you, there is a major SCIENCE aspect to Political Science.
5. "You're classes must be easy. All you have to do is sit and class and talk politics."
This statement has probably come from someone in the STEM field. They'll somehow always tell you that political science is nothing compared to their chemistry class or their engineering class, and how their classes require so much more than yours; however, they have no clue how much work actually goes into what we do. We read countless articles, write multiple papers a week, and put just as many hours into our work as a STEM major. No, I don't have to sit down everyday and learn about Thermodynamics, but I do get to explore topics and have conversations that many people in any other field would struggle to understand. I like politics! Is that a crime? Yes, my classes don't call for me to use math and science in the same traditional way many others do, but we have to work twice as hard to prove our worth!
The next time you see a political science major be mindful of what we're going through. We work hard and get little respect so be careful or else we'll start talking nerdy to you!
